Electric self-winding clock.



No, 853,339. PATENTED AUG. 1s, .1907.V

A. WIRSGHING.

ELECTRIC SELPWINDINGGLGGK- APPLICATION FILED NGV. 28, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: N/IILNTORV f muy No.863,339. PATENTED AUG. 13; 1907.

A. WIRSCHING. ELECTRIC SELF -WINMNG CLOCK.

APPLIUATION' FILED NOV. 2B, 1905.

- 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ITNESSES 'y NVENTOR @n WLSeL/'n C; BY M 1 I 'au u,

the United States, residing at Brooklyn,

ALOYS WIRSCHING, OF

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LECTRIC SELF-WINDING CLOCK rTo allv'tyhom it may concern:

Be it known that I,v ALoxs Xfilnsonine, a citizen of of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Self- Winding Clocks, -of which the following is a speciication. z

The invention relates to electrically actuated winding mechanism for clocl s.-

The invention `consists in combination with a time mechanism,' of a lrotatable shaft, means for rotating said shaft in one direction, means for transmitting said motion in one direction from said shaft to said time mechanism, means for rotating said shalt in the opposite ,direction independently of said time mechanism and means controlled by said shaft upon the completion of a rotation thereof of. predetermined extent., caused by said irst named means, for setting in operation said second named means of rotation, and thereby imparting to said shaft an opposite rotation against t he resistance 'of said first named means: also in the combination. of mechanisms more particularly pointed out in the claims.

, In the present embodiment of my invention l actu.- ate the time mechanism from a shaft which is rotated in one direction by a'descending weight, or its equivalent', and intermittently in the opposite direction by a reacting spring controlled by an electro magnet energized by contact of an arm carried by said shaft with said spring, when said shai't is rotated by said weight; the said spring reacting upon said arm, and by the reverse movementoi saidl shaft raising said weight. The to'and fro motion of the shaft is converted into rotation in onevdirection oi the main driving gear of the 'timemechanism by any suitable interposed devico'for .r thatpurpose, such as the described pawl and ratchet.

A' In thel accompanying drawings-Figure 1I is a iront 'elevation showing my electrical winding mechanism, ythe clock train being indicated in dotted lines.` is a side elevation. Fig. ,3 is a detail view showing the ratchet mechanism. which is interposed Fig'. 2

between the main driving gear and the winding device. Fig. 4 is a top View. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on x a: ofFig. 1.`

Similar numbers of1 reference indicate like parts. My electrical winding mechanism may be applied to any suitable clock train or other time mechanism, 1 is a sleeve or hollow shaft carrying' the grooved pulley 2, in the groove of which is wound a cord 3 which carries the Vdriving weight 4. The sleeve 1 extends` through the back plate 5 as shown in section in Fig. 2.

and has fixed upon it a 'coll-.ir 7 which carries an arm S on the end of which is pivoted a-pawl 9 which, by means of the helical spring 10 connected to said p-.iwl and to the collar .7, is held in engagement with the ratchet pinion 11, which is supported on the hub 12 of Specification of LettersfPatent. Application tiled November 2S, 1905. Seria-l No. 289.384.

in the county the line Patented Aug. 13, 1907".

the main di'iving Wear l-t fast on shaft 13. The shaft 13 enters the hollow shalt 1 and has its other end journaled in the iront plate 15. Also engaging with the ratchet 11 is a holding pawl 16, which is pivoted onthe back plate 5. The extent of movement or this pawl is limited by a stop 17 on said plate.

The operation of the spring pawl in connection with the ratchet is such that when the weight 4 descends the spring pawl engages with the ratchet andy so actuates the clock train. When the Weight it is caused to rise, its shaft then being turned in the opposite direction, the spring pawl 9 runs over the ratchet teeth and the ratchet pinion is held immovable by the'eng gement therewith of the holding pawl 1G. -t'wilLbe understood, therefore, that the clclc train is operated by the intermittent descent of the weight 4, the shaft or sleeve 1 being electrically operated in the manner to be described., intermittently to Wind up thei'cord fixed pin 27 Fig. 4, which receivesthe sleeve 27* on the 'f lever 26. Also on pin 27 is a sleeve 26* oi insulating material. The lever 26 when swung vdownwardly meets a stop 39.-'

Secured on one side of the lever 26 by means of the headed pin 28` is a me. 'al sleeve 23 having an arm 22 to which is attached the brush 21. iormedoi a multiplicity of conducting wires. The pin 28 may be threaded and 'secured by a nut 24 of insulating material, and as shown .in Fig. 4.- insulating sleeves are interposed between the sleeve 23 and the lever 2G and the head of pin 28. The

brush 21 rests upon the upier side of sleeve 26* on pin 27 and extends into the path of movement of the weights 20.

Attached to the sleeve 23, in any suitableway, as to a lug thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, or by clamping between said sleeve and 'its adjacent piece of insulating material, is one end of a helical spring 25, the other end being fastened toa fixed abutment.

29 is an electro-magnet having by a rectangular' frame, pivoted at 3l in abracket 32 supported on the back board 33. The frame is formed of a bar 34 ol` magnetic material which is bent laterally .A

at its ends as shownat 35, so that said endsextend in iront of the outer polar extremities of the electro-magnet. Extending from said bent over ends are rods 36, which are connected by the iront longitudinal member 30 of the trame; said member is preferably of non-magnetic material.4

The bar 3l forms the armature of the electro-magnet and is connected at one end by a link 38 to the pivoted lever 2G. As the free end of said lever is held up by the helical spring 25, the trane normally stands rin inclined posit ion as shown in Fig. 1.

two coils surrounded 4 Ll() and 4l are cells connected in series, from which ciri way for a like period.

by wire 45, to and through the coils of electro-magnet 29l and by Wire 4G to cell 41.

The operation is as iollowsz' The cord being initially,

wound on pulley 2, the clock train is actuated by the descending weight 4 until the pin 43 on arm 19 moved in the direction of the arrows Fig. l, makes contact with the brush 2l, thus closing circuit through the electromagnets, which attract their armatures, bringing the frame to substantially horizontal position and the lever 26 against stop 39, preferably covered with elastic material. vThis drawing down of link 38 throws the brush 21 sharply upward, causing it to strike and by its elasticity to react upon the pin 43 on arm 19. The shaft 1 carrying said arm is thus rotated in the reverse direction and by the inertia oi the weighted arms its arc of travel is increased. This reverse movement ofthe shaft` is not transmitted to the clock train because of the running of paw19 over the ratchet 11, which ratchet meanwhile is held at rest by the holding pawl 16. But the reverse rotation of shaft l turns the greoved pulley 2 so as to wind thereon cord 3 and ,'thus raise weight 4,-and at the same time the pin 43 is carried away from brush 21, thus breaking circuit. When the arms reach the end of the path of impressed rotation, the weight again resumes control, descends; and the foregoing operation is repeated. It will be seen, therefore, that the lrotatable member or shaft l is rotated first in one direction bythe descending weight 4, and then in the other direction by the electrically controlled reacting spring or brush 21,

and itsv last named reverse movementraises4 the Weight 4 and so restores the potential energy thereof. ternate motion oi' shaft 1, of course, continues as long as current is supplied to the electro-magnet-and hence the clock train runs and time is indicated'in the usual Owing to the momentary contact of brush 21 and pitt 43, which can be caused to take place at any predetermined interval oi time by, suitable construction ol' the clock train the expenditure of current is very small, a nd hence the need of renewing cells, when these are used as the source, occurs only at long intervals. Oi' course. the cells can be omitted and any other convenient source of current, such as ordinary house wires i'i'om the street mains, substituted. It is preferable to adjust the brush wire "so tt the pin 43 meets them successively, thus insuring contt. of pin and brush. A i

ln place of weight i, an equivalent. spring may be 'substituted having one end connected to the cord and the other to any ixcd abutment, or thc weil known volute or hooi: .springl may have one extremity directly connected lo Iheshal't .l and 'the other to said abutment. or any other device known in the art.' which will operate to move the .shalt in one direction and be itself acted upon to store power by the impressed motion of the shaft in the other direction, may be employed. The extent of movementof the end of brush 2l may be regulated by securing the extremity of the link in one of the severalholes shown near the end of thevl'ever arm.

The term rotating in the claims applied to the rotatable member or shaft l, means broadly either a partial rotation-or a complete rotation-or a complete rotation plus a partial rotation, of said member as any one of these conditions may exist, depending, for example, upon the extent of descent of the weight, and the diameter of the cord receiving pulley.

1 claim:

1, A shaft, means for rotating the same in one direction, an arm on said shaft, a spring in the path of movement of said arm and means for electrically vibrating said spring to re-act on said arm and reverse the movement of said shaft; the said vibrating means, arm and spring, beim,lr in circuit. o

2. A shaft. means for oscillating the same in one direction` an arm on said shaft, a spring in the path of movement of said arm and means for electrically controllingY said spring to rc-act on said arm to reverse the movement of said shaft and thereby restore the expended potential of said first named means; the said arm, spring and electric controlling means, being in circuit. l

1blu combination with a. time mechanism, a rotatable shaft, means for rotating said shaft in one direction, an arm on said shaft, a pivoted contact brush extending into thc path of movement of said arm, au clectromagnct, a

pivoted armatlne-callyiug' frame surrounding said magnet,

a link connecting one end of said armature t'o said brush, and circuit connections. substantially as set forth. V

4. in'combination with a time mechanism and u motor therefor,a winding mechanism for said motor, a resilient vibrating body for actuating said winding mechanism, an electrically actuated device. for vibrating said body and meansvcdntrollcd by said motor for intermittently closing circuit to said electrically actuated device through said resilient body.

in combination with a time mechanism and a motor therefor, a winding mechanism for said motor, a. resilient vibrating body for actuating said winding mechanism, an electrically actuated device for vibratingr said body and means controlled by said motor for intermittently closing circuit to said electrically actuated device through said rcsilient body and simultaneously subjecting said body to strain against its own resiliency.

t. ln a time mechanism. a rotatable shaft, means for rotating the same in one direction, winding mechanismv actuated by said shaft when rotated in the opposite dircction, a circuit closing.r arm on said shaft, a movable vibrating contact spring in thc path of said arm. an electrically Aactuated dovico for vibrating,r said contact sprint,r und circuit connections; the aforesaid paris bein.;r constructed and arranged so that when said shaft is rotated b.' rotating'means, said arm shall meer and compres. sprintzihercba' simultaneously establishingr circuit to .slid electrically actuated device to vibrate said spring. anti bo tin-own hy tin` conjoint. action ot' s d device and the rosilicncy o|` said spring in thc opposlte direction to actuate said shai't and said windingr mechanism,

` lu testimony whercot' i have ailixed my signature in pres-cuco of two witnesses. 

